Time's Child
by Almadynis Rayne
Summary: Rose lied on Bad Wolf Bay. She is the one pregnant...with the Doctor's son, Alexander. *UP FOR ADOPTION*
1. Chapter 1

Time's Child

In the Beginning

Almadynis

Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy or Doctor Who. Do I look like a millionaire to you?

Timeline: Pre-Buffy. Tenth Doctor, post season 4.

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"There's five of us now. Mum, Dad, Mickey and the baby." Her tear-filled eyes couldn't leave his face. Searching for an admission. Hoping that what she felt was really reflected in his eyes, as she had imagined they had for years. Neither had ever said it, but she knew that she loved him. She could only hope he loved her back. With all they had gone through…she hoped.

The Doctor seemed to freeze and said in his perfectly calm voice, that voice she knew so well, the one he used when he was trying to remain so very calm. "You're not…" He couldn't even ask. He was too afraid of the answer.

So Rose Tyler did something she had never done before. In the midst of her grief, she gave her greatest gift to her love. She lied. She shook her head and lied. "No. It's Mum. She's three months gone. More Tylers on the way." She lied because she knew what this man would do for her, had seen him do it. What he would do for his child…it made her shiver.

She kept talking with him, prolonging the inevitable. Engraving his face into her mind for all time, the last time she spoke to him. Heard his voice, saw his skinny form. She wished she could smell him, or touch him…but if this was all she got, she was take it with a glad heart. Finally the tears spilled over as her body couldn't contain them any longer. His words echoed in her mind later, but at that moment, all she could think of was finally saying what they both, hopefully, felt. "I…I love you."

He smiled, that gentle smile of his, and gave an answer that was just like him. "Quite right too." They both shared a laugh, before he got a little more serious and kept on, "And I suppose…if it's my last chance to say it, Rose Tyler…" and he disappeared. Vanished with the last of the power from a collapsing sun.

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Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth, cried out in pain. She screamed and gripped her father's hand tightly in hers, him telling her to breathe and push, just like the doctors. The Doctor, he would want to be here. The birth of his son. She had been treated by a discreet midwife ever since the ultrasound showed two rapidly beating hearts. She and her parents had disappeared into the night to escape whoever might come after them. Mickey stayed behind to make sure that who showed up got onto a wrong path.

Rose screamed again as another contraction ripped through her. She felt the baby move. She gave a mighty push, and then collapsed as the baby cried out into the afternoon light, the midwife clipping and tying. She bundled up the baby and set him on Rose's chest where the new mother's fingers curled in the dark blond hair. She smiled into those brown eyes, just like his father's. "Alexander. His name is Alexander."

Defender of Man. Just like his dad.

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Peter Tyler ran into the night. Daleks were all around, and all of them were after what he held most precious in the world. His daughter's child, barely six months old. He was head of Torchwood now, and he was the one who figured out how to keep his grandchild safe. Without the Doctor there was nowhere in the world safe…nowhere in this world.

With a heavy heart and a letter tucked into the folds of his blanket, Alexander John Tyler was forcibly shoved into the next world, the world closest, the world that it had been connected to before. Since the package was so terribly tiny, didn't struggle, and it had a signature that seemed familiar, the Universe allowed the baby passage through the Void and into the next world without fuss. No cracks appeared, and no dimensions collapsed.

And one baby suddenly appeared in the colonies, in a small town called Sunnydale.

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The father's fist hit the child with force, as it regularly did when the man was drunk, which seemed to be all the time. The child was four, and already knew the hardship's enough to know to curl into a ball to protect his insides from becoming outsides.

Tony Harris pulled back his steel-toed boot and when it connected, it hit bone and the child couldn't keep the sound from escaping. The cry only seemed to enrage the man more, and he ignored the blood coming from the child's mouth and continued to rain down blows. The child could only curl tighter and hope his father stopped soon.

When the man finally stopped and fell down in a faint from an overdose of alcohol, the child tried to move, but found he couldn't.

Alexander, for the boy didn't consider himself a Harris so never said so, not even in his mind, whimpered and fell back to the floor. He didn't know where his mother was, but knew that even if she was right beside him, she wouldn't help. He was all alone, and he was smart enough to know that something very bad was happening.

He wished, he wished so hard. He wished for parents that would care. He wished for love, for someone to hold him when he had nightmares. He wished for someone to be gentle, and kind to him. He wished he didn't have to hurt anymore.

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A vengeance demon that specialized in abused children had been watching this one child for a very long time, waiting for that one moment when it would wish. Finally, she had her chance. A perfect wish.

This child was so special. The child wasn't human, but it wasn't demon either. If left alone it would draw every demon around in both curiosity and the excitement of something new and unknown. The child wasn't safe where he was, not with parents like those. But those people were completely human, so not the child's biological family.

And there was a residue on the boy, something she had never experienced before. Something she had only felt once before. On a man that scared her so much, but that man wasn't human either. And both man and boy had two hearts. The man cared for humans, for any lifeform actually, as long as it kept to itself and did no harm. He would be a good father.

Halfrek picked up the child, and it cried out in pain from the movement. She whispered an apology and then transported them both to a place that scared her to her core. But a wish was a wish, and this boy wished for a father, a true father. He deserved one. This one was perfect.

Her eyes, still in demonic form so that her magic could work, looked into wide and surprised brown eyes. The man that terrified her looked at the broken and bleeding child in her arms and was instantly at her side, trying to help the boy. She spoke, her voice rough with fear, but clear.

"His name is Alexander. His so-called father did this to him. Help him, Doctor." Then she left, teleporting away before the man could ask any questions. She had done her duty, and with how much trouble this man got into, the consequences of the wish would make themselves known with time. Time…huh, she made a joke.

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The blond haired boy screamed as he was moved yet again, and the man muttered "sorry" under his breath as he tried desperately to save the small child. But he knew in the back of his mind that the injuries this young one had sustained were massive, and he couldn't fix them with the time the toddler had left. If he was already at a hospital, an excellent and future hospital, the boy might survive…but he was in the mid-1200s on Earth. The time it took to travel to the best hospital would make the boy worse in the trip over. All he could do was hold him, and give the child a few moments of peace.

"Hello Alexander. I'm the Doctor."

Brown eyes blinked up at him, so pain filled it broke his hearts. "Hi." Blood burbled up from the punctured lung, the one heart still stubbornly pumping, but not for much longer. "I can't move."

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

The child smiled then, revealing blood-stained teeth, but he smiled. A tear blinked out of his left eye. He had gotten his wish. Someone who cared. Someone to hold him. Now he just wished he had more time to be held and loved. He took a breath, and then it went out, and didn't come back.

The Doctor gently set the child back down, and got to his feet. He turned away to get the Tardis moving, trying to think of a cemetery that would be good enough for such a small child, when he heard it. That tell-tale sound of regeneration. He spun back around, eyes so wide with shock, and he witnessed the four-year-old boy glow and the face and hair changed.

Brown hair replaced it, and hazel eyes. His cheeks got a bit more angular, as did the chin, but there was still a small bit of baby fat the starvation hadn't eaten that the child was cute and could be considered a child.

Those eyes blinked at him for a couple seconds, as the Doctor tried to understand what he saw, and process it. A Time Lord ichild/i!?! The small voice was different than the one that had spoken before, a bit more innocent, "I don't hurt anymore." Then the small boy, the Child of Time fainted away, the energy that had been used to restore him had more work to be done.

The Doctor moved then, getting the small child into the medical bay and onto a bed. He ran the standard tests for a Time Lord and his eyes grew so wide at the information the Tardis provided.

He looked at the sleeping child and said, shock coloring his so calm tone, "You're Rose's son." Then the Tardis spit out something else and he staggered, for it had only been one night, and it had been so long ago.

"You're imy/i son. I have a son."

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	2. Chapter 2

bTime's Child/b

Helping

Almadynis

Thanks to my beta Alestar, who has helped work out the kinks in this story so that I can give you another chapter, and a vague plotline!

Disclaimer: Don't own Buffy, Doctor Who, Sarah Jane Adventures, or Torchwood. And I've only seen Buffy and Doctor Who, so all my knowledge of characters from the other two series is based on extensive re-watching of Doctor Who episodes. I'm also American, please forgive my attempt to get British words right.

"talking"

*phone speak*

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Luke Smith answered the doorbell on a lonely night in September, it was raining outside and the wind made the leaves on the street rustle hauntingly. It had been so many years that he had almost forgotten the man in front of him, especially since he looked scary, dangerous, and haggard. But he did remember the man, and stepped aside, calling his mother at the same time.

The man before him was in a blue pinstriped suit with a tan trench coat, and clutched in his arms was a bundle of clothes. After a couple seconds, he saw the clothes breathe. A dog? "Mum! It's the Doctor!" He heard a catch of breath and then running steps right before his mother appeared at the doorframe.

"Doctor, what's wrong?" She came forward, face intent on the bundle and then gasped when she saw what was inside. "This way, I have the guest bedroom made up." Luke saw the Doctor disappear after his mother, but followed to see if he could make himself useful. What he saw next made his mother once again draw a deep breath. A puff of golden light escaped from the boy's mouth, for it was a bloody and dirty boy perhaps four years old, and then floated up into the air.

The Doctor's voice was almost hollow as he answered Sarah Jane's unasked question. "He's my son. It's been over eight centuries since I had children, Sarah Jane. I don't have anything that I need for a growing boy, and no money to get them. How do you get money? I could only take him in the Tardis on this one trip, since he is regenerating his extra energy can repair any damage. I didn't know anyone else who had a child. Help me?"

Luke's eyes widened. He had never heard the Doctor, in any story or myth, ask for help. Ever.

Sarah Jane Smith smiled at her friend, gave him a hug, and said gently, "Everything will be fine, Doctor. Luke? Call Jack."

Her son nodded quickly and practically ran for the phone, never hearing the half-hearted protest. His mind was in a blur, trying to figure out what a child might need, as he himself was never a child it was a little difficult, but it all boiled down to one thing. Money. And Jack would have money, right?

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Captain Jack Harkness answered his phone on the first ring, since he practically never slept, "Jack Harkness."

*Sir, The Doctor is here. He needs you, sir.* Such simple words, yet they caused an awesome reaction. Jack jumped up, overturning the pile of paperwork he had been writing in, and yelled for Ianto.

"Where?"

*He's at Sarah Jane Smith's house. Do you know where that is?*

"I'll be there in 30 minutes." Jack had already relayed that he and Ianto would be going for a drive to Gwen and had grabbed the keys.

*Sir? I don't mean to be crude, but can you bring a credit card with a good spending limit on it?*

Jack froze and looked at the phone in his hand, at Ianto, then back to the phone. "Who is this? Why would the Doctor need money?" Gwen looked up from her computer at that comment, and Ianto's eyes widened when he heard about the Doctor.

*Sir…The Doctor has a son. And me and Mum don't have enough for everything he will need, clothes and things, and he's only about four, and Mum doesn't make enough for all that he'll need, and I thought you would have some that wouldn't be too much trouble?*

Jack's brain had stalled at the first sentence. "We'll be there in 15 minutes." He flipped the phone closed, turned to Ianto and blurted, "Where do we keep the credit cards?"

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Jack and Ianto arrived at the Smith residence on Bannerman Road in record time, breaking every speed law in Britain, but neither cared. Apparently Luke was waiting for them, because the door opened before either had knocked. Jack recognized the teenager's voice, now almost ready to leave for university, from the phone call. "He's in the guest bedroom." Jack was almost to the other side of the room when the teen said hesitantly, "He's really scary right now, sir."

Jack paused, then said, "Ianto, wait here." The other man nodded and stood stiffly.

Jack went to the only door in the hall that was open and went inside, stopping at the doorway to survey why an 18 year old male who had grown up in dangerous situations, would be afraid.

The room had a bed, where a very small boy lay while Sarah Jane was redressing him in a cotton t-shirt that was probably one of Luke's, as it was huge on him. The boy looked remarkably like the Doctor in face and the fact that both were so skinny. But on the Doctor it looked natural, the boy looked malnourished. The boy was a little damp from being recently sponge-bathed, and from the look of the water there had been a considerable amount of blood on him. Jack took a small silent breath before looking at the Doctor.

The Doctor wasn't moving, but he stood still like humans can't, so still as to be almost perfectly motionless except for the movement of his chest as he breathed. The man's eyes looked lost and afraid, but the set of his body and face was absolute anger. Jack had seen that before in others. The Doctor was at war with himself, didn't know what to do for once in his long life. There was simply too many things that he couldn't pick out one in the tumult of his mind to do first. So Jack picked for him. He went over to the man, who was sitting in the only chair in the room, walked in front of him, bent down, and kissed him thoroughly.

When he drew back, The Doctor was blinking at him. When it registered what was going on, the man jumped to his feet, looking like he wanted to hit Jack for all he was worth, but he didn't even draw back his fist before his eyes wandered. He looked back at the bed where a cloud of regenerative energy floated out the window, and then back at Jack. "They beat him to death, Jack."

Then Jack understood where the anger came from, but if a Time Lord truly wanted to kill someone, there wasn't anything he could do. And he knew this Time Lord. He wouldn't kill anyone, not if he had a choice. So what Jack needed to do was refocused the Doctor's attention to something else. "What do you need, Doctor?"

The Doctor sat back down and looked at his sleeping son. "He can't be younger than four. That's the youngest recorded for a regeneration. The kid accidently slipped on a rock and broke his neck. How could anyone beat a child?"

"Doctor," Jack took him by the shoulders and shook him slightly until the man looked back up at him, "You need to focus on the here and now. You now have a son that you need to take care of. A child that depends on you. What do you need? How can I help?" That seemed to do it, the old Doctor came back into the eyes and posture and he got to his feet.

"I examined him on the Tardis, he should wake up in about 18 hours. I have all sorts of clothes in all sorts of sizes on the Tardis, but travel is only for children over 8, and even then they are in the Academy until they are grown."

"So you need clothes that fit him. Okay. What else?" Jack kept right on, not wanting the Doctor to go back into his practically catatonic state of ineptitude.

"I…Jack it has been 815 years, 5 months, and 7 days since my children died. If I was on Gallifrey I would go the Nursery to get everything I need, but here? Now? Humans won't have the technology to make the some of the things that he will need for another 6000 years. And he can't travel with me until he looks into the Untempered Schism on Gallifrey, a time-locked planet. His mind would burn itself out trying to make sense of things he wouldn't understand. I just…I don't know. Jack…how do I take care of a Time Child this young? With Jenny it would be easy, she is old enough for it not to be too much of a problem, and she could take care of herself if need be, plus she was 100% Time Lord. With Alex…" The Doctor trailed off, shaking his head.

Jack gave his friend a solemn look and said firmly, "You have friends that can protect him while you get the things you need. We'll get him clothes, toys, and food. You get the rest. Alright?"

The Doctor looked at Jack and his eyes hardened into stone cold pools of rage. If Jack didn't already know that this man wouldn't hurt him without cause, he would have drawn his gun. "Jack. When the rest of the universe finds out I have a son, they will try to take him using any means they can think of. The only reason they haven't come from the regenerative energy alone is that I took care of that years ago the last time I regenerated; they think it's from me. But they won't stay gone for long. Could you really protect him long enough that I could get back?"

Before Jack could answer, Sarah Jane stepped forward to stand beside Jack and smiled gently at the new father. "We could. Go get what you need, Doctor. Your son is perfectly safe."

The Doctor blinked at her, then after a moment matched her smile. He reached out and hugged her tightly. He whispered a thank you in her ear and moved toward the door to leave.

Jack mock-glared at his back. "What? No hug for me?"

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What do you think?


	3. Chapter 3

**Time's Child**

Introductions

Almadynis

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The Doctor slowly opened the door of the Tardis and heaved a sigh of relief. At least he wouldn't have to worry about dodging the Vashta Nerada. Now, first thing on the list is schoolbooks, and of course he was going to steal them from the best place in the universe, The Library.

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Eighteen hours after the Doctor left a tiny set of brown eyes blinked open. They opened, closed, then opened again. The little boy sat up warily when he surveyed the room with its two occupants; a tall man in suspenders that was cleaning a gun-like object and a teenager who was intensely studying a big book. The boy made a small sound of distress, unintentionally attracting attention from the other two, and reacted by getting as far away as he could. He climbed down the bed and into the corner, eyes never leaving the two men, and shook slightly.

Jack Harkness held out his hands in an I'm-not-holding-anything gesture while the teen gently put the book down and stood, leaving slowly until he was out of the room, then he bolted. Jack went to crouch in front of the boy and gave him a smile, "I'm Captain Jack. Don't worry, you're Dad will be back soon."

His statement got a very odd reaction; the boy freaked out. Tiny eyes widened and small feet took a dash for the door, where they were met by yet another man in a suit and tie. The little boy sank back to the floor and began to cry.

Sarah Jane came onto the scene after Luke got her and frowned, but immediately scooped up the child and began to rock him, singing softly trying to calm him down. It took awhile, but eventually the boy did stop crying. "There now. I'm Sarah Jane."

The boy sniffled but answered, " 'M Alex."

Sarah Jane smiled at him and gave him a hug, "What were you crying about, Alex? It helps to talk about things you are scared of. And do you see all these people. We swore to make sure that you wouldn't have to be scared of anything ever again. Alright?"

Alex slowly nodded and fiddled with the cuffs of his 'nightgown'. "Captain said Tony was coming back. Do I have to go back with Tony? I don't want to!" Silent tears rolled down his cheeks as he said this.

"Tony? No Alex, you'll never see Tony again if you don't want to. The Doctor is coming back for you. He just needed to get some of the things you'll need while you grow up. You're a very special little boy."

Jack Harkness processed all that he knew and shared a look with Ianto. Whoever this 'Tony' was, he would never get within 1000 feet of their charge. With the boy's accent and a piece of a name, it was enough for warning anyway. No American named Tony would ever get close to Alex while either of them were around.

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Apparently he was a little off on the date. Really, what was a hundred years or so in the grand scheme of things? Except when the bogeymen of the darkness were hatching. Then it did matter just a bit more than usual. The Doctor looked up as the lights began to blink out again and he groaned. Of all the times to be off on timing, it had to be when he was in a hurry.

The Doctor ran, books safely tucked into his jacket pocket.

Away from his Tardis.

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I need help with ideas people, any and everything would be wonderful. Thanks for those of you who reviewed!


	4. Chapter 4

**Time's Child**

**Pilot Fish**

**Almadynis**

* * *

On the other side of the lonely moon to the third planet from the sun, a spaceship roughly ¼ the size of the moon hid in the shadow. The inhabitants of that ship knew how the transmission of a previous ship filled with a warrior-class race had cut off in the middle after failing on a mission similar to their own. They knew what time could do to a people, and hoped that the five plus years that had passed on the planet since that first mission had made the planet's inhabitants lax in their security, but the ship's people also knew about what had occurred a scant two planetary years prior and planned for the worse.

Though their objective was merely a child, it would probably have protectors.

* * *

After Alex had been assured that they would not give him back to his previous father, the boy calmed considerably. Sarah Jane, as the only female, was Alex's constant companion. They all noticed how the boy was wary of her movements but didn't react to her negatively, more like amazement that she even offered to help him or feed him, ask if he had enough or wanted more.

His reactions weren't so positive toward the three males. Small eyes watched their every move and jumped at every sudden gesture or unfamiliar sound. The adults knew what this meant for his previous home life and their hearts broke. Luke might not have any experience with normal human households, but he was a smart man. He knew it couldn't be this.

Alex didn't complain at all of his hunger, but eagerly devoured the chicken soup Sarah Jane heated for him. For a small boy, his excitement at something so simple tugged at her heart. He never saw her tiny sad smile or Jack's anger, so intent was he on the warm meal.

Sarah Jane started a shopping list by writing down all foods she could think of that a little boy might like. Clothes came next, then toys. Tomorrow would be a busy day if she had anything to say about it.

* * *

Alex was always hungry, had never been different, and Sarah Jane's ready soup in a bowl as big as his head made his stomach growl loudly at the smell alone. Since he didn't know when these new people would provide more food, he ate as much as he could: all of it. He grinned at the nice lady when she refilled the bowl halfway and thought that maybe not all ladies were like Jessica.

He hugged her tightly in thanks and was about to verbalize his gratitude when his open mouth produced a yawn instead and Sarah Jane smiled at him gently. He had never seen a smile like that directed at him before. It was the most beautiful thing he had seen. Her voice seemed a bit more musical than it had moments ago when she next spoke.

"Lets get you back in bed. You've had a long day and that would tire anyone out." She held out her hand to him and despite her smile, voice and kind actions still fresh in his mind he was motionless a few moments before he hesitantly placed his tiny hand in hers. When it brightened her smile he grinned at her in return, happy that he could make her smile so brilliantly.

Sarah Jane walked beside him back to the room he had woken in and helped him up into the double bed too high for his malnourished height. She pulled down the covers and top sheet, waited for him to settle down before replacing them and tucking them around his small four-year-old body. All this was so foreign to Alex, but her gentle kindness he treasured all the more for its unfamiliarity. When she leaned forward he froze, wondering if the kindness would now disappear and the beatings would start. The soft kiss on his forehead made his eyes widen considerably and when she clicked off the light and walked into the hallway, a small hand drifted up to touch the skin where that simple gesture was placed and this thoughts were filled with amazement and wonder as he drifted off to sleep.

He never saw the Santa Claus peeking into his bedroom window, nor the trumpet aimed at the lock.

* * *

The Doctor ran full out, the shadows right at his heels, but he had made a big race around The Library's main halls with the Vashta Nerada following him so that with them behind him and him going in a big circle, his Tardis should be free of their presence. Especially now, when all of them hadn't hatched yet.

At least he hoped so. He was just glad that the books he needed were safe inside his pockets. All he had to do was get to the Tardis. Lots of running.

Almost there…

* * *

Alex screamed, sitting upright instantly at the sound of shattering glass. His mind filled with the sound of bottles against his skull and hands raining blows upon his body. He didn't recognize that it was the window that had shattered, or that he was picked up by a Santa. He just kicked and bit and punched, bloodying his hands, though it did no good.

After only a few moments, they were out the window again and a Santa mask lay by the shattered glass.

* * *

Jack was on his feet and running even before his brain registered the sound as breaking glass. It somehow zeroed in on the location and his feet led him to the guest bedroom where then his arm threw open the door and burst in, gun drawn. And then he stopped.

He couldn't understand. The window was broken inward and there was a Santa mask on the carpet among the large pieces of broken glass. The bed was empty, the sheets rumpled and pulled toward the window. He couldn't understand and he froze.

He saw. He froze as his brain processed what it meant. He had failed his Doctor. He had failed Alex. That little boy was gone. The son of the Doctor was gone.

"Jack?"

He had failed…

"Jack!" A loud slap filled the air and Jack's eyes jumped to his own companion, Ianto. "Are you back Jack?"

"Yeah. And we have a boy to save." Jack gripped his gun and ran. He heard footsteps behind him and turned around. He pointed at Luke and said sternly, "You stay here."

"But…"

"Someone has to be here for when the Doctor comes back."

"What do I tell him?"

Jack looked at him for a second, seeing a boy instead of a man. "The truth. So he can save all of us, and then I can hold him back from genocide."

"What?"

"None of you understand. None of you have traveled with the Doctor since Rose. No offense Sarah Jane, but the Doctor loves Rose. He loves her with both his hearts. He did so much for her. If it hadn't meant death for her, he would have went after her in the other dimension. But he wouldn't do anything to kill her. Then she came back, and he knew she wanted her family, so he gave her what she wanted, what he could give her. A human version of himself. It broke something inside him to do it, but he did.

"But now there's Alex. And now he not only has a piece of Rose that he can have all for himself, but he has a piece of his home too. That child is the last connection he has to the love of his incredibly long life, and to his people. He forgave a man that killed millions of people because he was of his own people and the Doctor didn't want to be alone. What do you think he'd do to keep from being the Last Time Lord again when it's his own innocent child?"

* * *

Thanks to my almighty beta Angel! *bows and worships*


	5. Chapter 5

**Conversations**

**Time's Child  
Chapter 5**  
Conversations  
Almadynis

"words"=English  
^words^=Alien language  
*words*=Phonespeak

The Doctor was grinning from ear to ear as he placed more items in his bigger-on-the-inside pockets, anticipating his son's reaction to all the 'toys' he was going to get. After the near-miss with the Vashta Nerada, the Doctor had been extra careful while programming the Tardis' next destination to further avoid any such future incidences. As such, he was almost finished with his 'shopping'.

Besides the books from The Library, he had also acquired enough parts from Junk Planet to build most of the items that he couldn't get anywhere else, and a few things that he thought would occupy Alex's time while he worked to build what was needed. It was amazing how long a Time Child could play with a Universal Timepiece.

Some of the little things had been easy to find: a handheld computer for school, blocks and threads for building and weaving, and even a few junk items that Alex could take apart without repercussions. Besides the things he would build, and the items that were galacticly cheap (if you went to the right place and time), there were also those that had to be stolen. A Universal Timepiece was one of them, but necessary enough to warrant the theft.

But finally, after much digging through piles of trash, haggling with beings of questionable hygiene, and sneaking through a planet or seven to steal priceless artifacts, he was ready to head back to his son.

He was smiling to himself and carefully tuning the Tardis to only a few hours after he had left Earth and was en-route when a ringing filled the room. The Doctor blinked for a nanosecond before he frantically dug into his coat pocket for the cell phone that Martha had given him so long ago. His hearts beat a staccato rhythm in anxiety as he feared the worst. He looked at the number, and pushed the button while placing it next to his ear. "He's gone, isn't he?"

*Yes.* Jack's voice was soft, quiet. *How soon can you get here?*

The Doctor saw the familiar light on his console that lit when the requested destination was reached come on, and replied, "I'm here." And clicked the phone closed.

A part of him wondered vaguely why he could be so calm and collected about this, wondered idly where the fear he had felt only moments before had gone, where the anger that should have come resided, the guilt of leaving his son with inadequate protection. There were many things that he should be feeling, but all were oddly absent. That small piece of his mind wondered, but it was ignored by the need to get Alexander back. Under such overwhelming pressure, the piece quieted and withdrew, taking it's wonderings with it.

With the absence, a strange quiet descended to encase the Time Lord's mind. All that intelligence, experience, determination, and will power became focused onto a single task: Get Alex back.

Behind the moon, a heated debate took place. Set in a room with an oval table, five beings sat around. All of them had pale blue skin with varying shades of green for hair. Their eyes were all golden and dressed in a black jumpsuit, but there the similarities ended.

Only two were female, one approximately six foot with waist length braided sea-foam hair and twilight skin. She wore a galactic-standard white lab coat over her suit to indicate her profession, and she was angrily yelling her opinion.

The other female wasn't speaking, but her eyes sparked with anger while her diminutive five and a half foot tall form shook, bobbed forest-green hair and noon-sky skin trembled in rage. This woman's black jumpsuit had bright orange stripes running from neck to wrist in a set of three, making her appear slightly taller than in actuality.

The man yelling at the first female was the tallest at six-three, appeared to be the oldest, and the darkest. His navy skin and green-black crew cut hair almost made him disappear into his black suit, the broad scarlet stripe wrapped around his chest an intimidating contrast.

Another man, the only one not at the table but rather standing against the wall across from the fighting pair watching the battle with trained eyes. He was obviously a twin to the yelling woman in every physical aspect, but his mannerisms sharply set him apart. Around his wrists and collar were three pencil-thin pure white stripes, barely discernable. He also carried what looked like some kind of weapon at his hip, within easy reach of his crossed arms.

The last member, male also and obviously the youngest, was noticeably agitated and worried. His shaggy, short white-green hair and cerulean skin made him the lightest in coloring. He also had only one stripe on his suit, but it was not broad as the dark one's. The bright yellow stripe encircled his biceps, only about two fingers wide. He was visibly torn between agreeing with the yelling woman, and obeying the near-black man. At times he would open his mouth to speak but quickly snapped it shut at the glare from the tallest.

^I don't care what you say Arashi, he's a child!^ The tall female screamed, leaning forward in her chair aggressively, her hands balled into fists. ^How dare you do that to a child! A _child_ that is barely old enough to even _survive_ the procedure?! Are you mad?! What in the name of Fyrl is _wrong_ with you?!^

The other member of the intense fight, Arashi, glared at the woman. ^Yes, he is a child. However, if you hadn't noticed, we are stuck in the middle of the Fyrl-forgotten end of the universe _without fuel_! It is my _job_, Skye, to think of the safety of this crew and to ensure that everyone gets back home. We have been sitting here for _months_, running out of food and water. And since neither Cloud nor Rayne have come up with anything _remotely_ helpful, that when the choice came, I made it. If we ever want to get home, this is currently the best _and only_ option!^

Cloud had winced when his name was mentioned, sinking further into his chair. Even though he was only sixteen, he already had completed his Engineer training and this was his first trip out to the stars. It wasn't turning out as he expected. And since he was the youngest, and the least experienced, he was blamed for a lot of things that weren't his fault, this particular situation was. He had been the one to make the mistake that had gotten them stranded in the ass-end of nowhere, beyond the range of their communications equipment, and with no ability to repair the most essential part of the ship. It was his job to fix what went wrong, but not even the youngest engineer ever to graduate from the Space Academy could create tachyon particles from thin air.

The other female, Rayne, already glaring daggers at her captain, didn't appear to react to his insult. Only her hands, carefully hidden under the table, moved to clench tightly. Enough that she was certain that soon she would draw blood. She was the only member of _Destiny_, a standard long-jump salvage ship, that wasn't related to another crewmember. When she had graduated from the Science Academy ten years ago, she had been the best of her year and one of the most innovative. She had been offered many jobs, but had decided to take up the Space Academy's because traveling the stars and seeing new worlds had always appealed to her. Today was the first that she regretted that decision.

^Don't you blame this on them! _You_ were the one who stole a child from its bed. _You_ were the one to take it from its home. _You_ were the one that gave it a sedative that hadn't been tested on its race. And _you_ are the reason that it is barely alive miles from its home and parents! It took all of my experience to do even that much! If you had been even a minute later, that child _would be dead_! So don't you _dare_ blame this on them!^

Arashi jumped to his feet, barely noticing out of the corner of his eye that his weapon's specialist, that had situated himself against the wall within stunner-range of the table, moved his hand slightly to rest on the butt of the weapon. As twin brother to the healer on board, who was hot-headed enough to get into a lot of trouble, he saw it as his duty to protect his sister above all others. Even his captain and Arashi knew it. So when the movement came, he used his considerable willpower to reign in his temper.

A captain had to sometimes make hard decisions. At 35 years old, he had been required to make several. This was one of them, and if he wasn't careful, he would lose more than sleep. His crew could easily take a Shimmer and shift to the planet. If even one did so, they would all be severely crippled. And if two left, the ship would never leave orbit. And while he was loud, outspoken, and stubborn to a fault, he was not stupid.

He took a couple of eight-breath counts before speaking, his voice was more level and wasn't as loud. ^What's done is done. The child will only be here for a few more hours anyway, four cycles at the most. Then I will return it exactly where I took it. But right now it is our only hope of getting home again, so I need you to stop fighting with me and do your job. With luck we will be leaving in a rotation.^ His golden eyes asked her to understand, or to at least comply with his requests, ^All you need to do is tend to it. It's physiology isn't that different from ours, you said so yourself…^

Skye cut in, her teeth tightly clenched so her words were slightly garbled, but those present were used to this and were still able to understand her, though a few wished they hadn't. ^I said that the indigenous population on that planet wasn't that different than ours. That child is _not_ part of that population. I have neither seen nor heard of his species. I don't know if what you are asking me to do will harm it or not.^

Arashi sat back down with a sigh and thought for a few more moments, trying to gather his thoughts. He was about to have to make another hard decision. Twice in one cycle was a record, and he wished to Fyrl that he never had a chance to break it. His mind went over all the possibilities again, all the consequences he could think of and the potential gains. Finally, he made a decision.

^The device has been made safe for 98% of the universe's populations. The chance that the child is one that won't tolerate the procedure is low, and we need the effects. Do it.^ He gave another sigh, this one belying his age and conveying to the others how much he hated the choice he had just made.

Technically, he was right. There was only a small chance that the child would react negatively to the patch…but it was still present. A two percent chance the child would die. Some of them didn't think it was worth it.

But since their captain had made the decision in a calm manner and his crew's best interests were at heart, they couldn't disobey him.

_I needed a pick-me-up after a rough test, so this has not been back from the betas yet. When they do get back, I'll go back and fix any errors. Until then, tell me what you think._


	6. AN

I know I have been fray adjacent for a while. I am sorry about that. I can't control my school, and I am a senior in college. Fortunately, the time off writing has let me gather my thoughts and sketch out the stories in more detail, plot, characters, etc. as well as giving me more ideas. I wrote out general summaries in my profile for you to peruse at leisure.

Here is the bad part: I am still in school. So I can only work on a little at a time. It would also be better if I could focus on one or two stories at a time. Since I haven't been able to decide which stories of mine I want to work on more than the others, I have set up a poll for you guys to decide.

Once again, I am sorry about the long time no see.

Please vote!


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